Exergoenvironmental Assessment of Lignocellulosic Biomass Pyrolysis for Energy Valorization and Environmental Sustainability

Resumen

This study evaluated five biomass feedstocks, cotton gin trash, rice husk, coconut shell, flax straw, and corn cob, for thermochemical conversion via pyrolysis. The analysis focused on gas fraction, fixed carbon, volatile matter, and ash content. Results indicated that flax straw achieved the highest gas yield (74%), rendering it optimal for energy generation applications, despite exhibiting the highest ash content (9.22%). Conversely, coconut shell demonstrated superior biochar production (17.61%). Rice husk and corn cob yielded the lowest ash content (5.44% and 5.7%, respectively), facilitating cleaner processes with minimal solid residue. Cotton gin trash presented a balanced profile between gas yield (73.4%), biochar (16.8%), and volatile content (69%), with moderate ash generation (8.33%). These findings demonstrate that each biomass offers specific strategic advantages depending on the process objective: gas maximization, biochar synthesis, or waste minimization. Consequently, feedstock selection can be precision-tailored to align with the operational priorities of the exergoenvironmental system